ACEMS Mentoring Series: 16/04/2019

Disclaimer



Why me?




Challenge what it means to present mathematical research

Why me?




Challenge what it means to present mathematical research




Haven't given a talk in Beamer since 2016

R - RMarkdown and Ioslides


Interactive graphics

Interactive graphics




Just because you have interactive graphics doesn't mean you'll give a good talk

Interactive graphics




Just because you have interactive graphics doesn't mean you'll give a good talk



You still need to communicate your research well!!!

Outline:

  • Why bother giving a good talk?


  • Conveying your message


  • Relationship with your audience


  • Slide layout



Why bother?

Some reasons

  • You have to (milestones)

  • Conferences / Workshops

  • Promote a paper

Some reasons

  • You have to (milestones)

  • Conferences / Workshops

  • Promote a paper



Trailer to your research !!!

Some reasons

  • You have to (milestones)

  • Conferences / Workshops

  • Promote a paper



Trailer to your research !!!


Sell to your research !!!

Some reasons

  • You have to (milestones)

  • Conferences / Workshops

  • Promote a paper



Trailer to your research !!!


Sell to your research !!!


Pride in your research !!!


Others reasons

Why are you motivated to give a good talk?

???

Tweet them to: @ACEMathStats @katerobsau

Motivated ✓




Now how do we actually give a good talk?

Message

Why do I care?

via GIPHY

Pitching 1.0

Set of key messages

Can't tell people everything!!!


3 minute talk = 1 idea

10 minute talk = 1 - 2 ideas and a bit of background

20 minute talk = A few (2 - 4) of ideas and introductory background

etc.

Set of key messages

Can't tell people everything!!!


3 minute talk = 1 idea

10 minute talk = 1 - 2 ideas and a bit of background

20 minute talk = A few (2 - 4) of ideas and introductory background

etc.

Think about these key messages as your roadmap

Build your slides around them to support this story

Take home message




If someone summarises your talk after

What do you want them to remember?

Audience

Pitching 2.0




Which key messages do you want your audience to understand?


Audience:

  • Masters and PhD students at different levels
  • Researchers from the application, not mathematically trained
  • Important people in your field

Temptation




Pack your talk full of complicated maths


DON'T DO IT!!!


Contract

  • As a speaker your job is try to communicate your reserach

  • As an audience member your job is to listen

Contract

  • As a speaker your job is try to communicate your reserach

  • As an audience member your job is to listen



If you break the contract as a speaker

The audience can break their contract

Communicating with your audience

Some suggestions:

  • Keep ideas in their simplest possible form

  • Where possible, develop in stories in a dual way
    eg. skoof, proof by picture

  • Tell the audience how it's relevant to them

Questions

If the audience engaged with your talk you will get asked questions! - Getting asked questions is good!

via GIPHY

Question Fear

Giving talks and getting asked questions is scary for some people

via GIPHY

What next

✓ Motivation

✓ Messages

✓ Audience

? Slide layout

Slide Layout

Sign posts

  • Repeat your messages

  • People have short attention spans!

  • Get people to listen again

Pink elephants

Scientific thinking in words - David Lindsay

  • Book about scientific writing
  • Covers: paper writing, talks, posters, presentations
  • Written by for more general science, still applicable to mathematics
  • Highly recommended
  • Makes this interesting point about "pink elephants"
  • Which is where people reading your slide and not paying attention
  • So you can basically say anything - like pink elephants!!!
  • Or touch your nose

Text



I try never to put text on slides that I do not intend to read!!

Text



I try never to put text on slides that I do not intend to read!!



Same goes for equations



Same goes for pictures

Structure vs Style

Structure:

  • Messages
  • Audience
  • Slide Layout

Style:

  • Honesty
  • Humour

Final remarks

Keeping it real

Creating a well crafted story and

clear accompanying slides takes time

via GIPHY


Keeping it real

Creating a well crafted story and

clear accompanying slides takes time


  • Okay to give the same talk more than once!

  • You probably won't give an amazing talk the first time

  • Improve aspects of your talk each time

Upward mentoring




If you are a supervisor:

  • Let your student know you are in their corner

  • Encourage them to get out there and try

Conclusions

✓ Motivation

✓ Messages

✓ Audience

✓ Slide layout

Questions